Mickey the Idiot
by zenniel
Summary: One-shot. "Mickey. He's my friend, my ex; ya gotta like him." "His name's… Mickey?" The Doctor asked absently, smoothing a nonexistent fold in his black leather jacket. "Thought it was Rickey."


"Ya gotta like him, though."

The Doctor leaned on the control panel, twiddled the different knobs and ends that he'd never really gotten around to learning how to use, and wondered where he should take Rose next. It had only been a couple days, relative time, since the Slitheen had almost taken over England and everyone had gotten rattled up about it. So he had decided to take Rose somewhere decent today, somewhere special where she wouldn't have to worry about some near-death accident or gun pointed in her face. Then again, his adventures didn't exactly end up peaceful, and that's just how he liked them.

All thoughts of a peaceful day were dashed from his brains with that simple statement, and he turned to look at her, his face clouded with confusion. She sounded uncharacteristically brash and he couldn't help but feel a little hurt. Besides, he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Excuse me?"

"Mickey. He's my friend, my ex; ya gotta like him."

"Where'd that come from?"

Rose had her arms crossed and her face was set. The Doctor could tell that she'd thought about how to tell him off. If he hadn't known that this was serious, he would have laughed at the utter contrast between her face and her clothes, which were childish like most of the clothes she liked, baggy, and absurdly pink. The pink suited her, though, so he couldn't comment on that. Her face told him all he needed to know about how dire it was that he needed to like Mickey. That's one thing he loved about Rose—she invested a lot of time with her family and what few friends she had.

"His name's… _Mickey_?" The Doctor asked absently, smoothing a nonexistent fold in his black leather jacket. "Thought it was Rickey."

"Don't you start that." Rose countered, glowering.

But the Doctor smiled and held his arms wide, "I love Mickey the Idiot!"

"Doctor!" Rose cried, flinging her own arms apart in frustration. "I mean it!"

The Doctor's smile fell. "Rose, I asked Mickey if he wanted to come. You remember, right? He didn't want to." Then, to try to get her to smile, he added, "Yeah, sure, I like him."

The Doctor had never seen Rose go limp before, but she did so now with a smile, like all of the fight had gone out of her. He knew that it wouldn't last long, and as soon as he thought about adding anything more sarcastic, she straightened and a new fire shone in her eyes.

"You're just sayin' that." She accused.

The Doctor actually managed to look concerned. Or at least he thought he looked concerned, and she looked mollified for the time being. "Am not. Mickey saved us by destroying the Slitheen."

"He was good, yeah."

The Doctor stood silently for a second before pointedly looking at Rose. She stared straight back at him, almost challenging him.

"So what's this about me having to like him?" The Doctor crossed his arms. He didn't like Mickey, at least not as much as he liked Rose.

"Well, he comes with me. Package deal. Just like me'n'my mum." Rose shrugged. "You want me, you gotta be friends with him."

If Rose had been any other person, he might have kicked her out. But he wasn't going to kick her out because she _wasn't_ any other person. Plus, Mickey had done things for Rose, and that meant he wasn't totally an idiot. It was a big plus that he'd wanted to wipe himself off of the internet for Rose, something the Doctor had wanted to do with the whole of creation for a very long time… but for himself.

"That's it?" He asked with little conviction.

Rose shrugged again. "I'd love a cup of tea."

"We can go to the best tea maker in England." The Doctor exclaimed with more emotion than he should have shown, grinned at her, and turned back to the TARDIS console, his fingers already skittering over the controls.

"Doctor. You didn't answer me." Rose grinned as she trudged over to the console, hands in her oversized pockets.

"I didn't." The Doctor shrugged. "You didn't give me a choice. Horrible bit of luck I have when I have t' choose between liking Mickey or kicking you out. So…. I won't answer."

"You think you're _so_ special." Rose said with sarcasm tainting her voice.

"Well, I am." He retorted, not even turning away from the controls. "I'm absolutely fantastic!"

She swatted him lightly on the arm and leaned on the console. He looked up to see her smiling that insanely cute smile where she bit her tongue while she smiled. "You're utter rubbish, you are."

"So, tea?" He asked hopefully.

"If you _did_ have to choose between liking Mickey and kicking me out, which would you?" Rose pressed.

The Doctor swallowed and would have massaged his temples if he didn't have an image to uphold. And he _did_ have an image to uphold. So, instead, he turned to her and shrugged. His tone was light when he said, "I dunno; it'd be a hard decision."

Rose's mouth turned sour. The way she leaned on the console, she was able to cross her arms and she did so. Her expression made the Doctor frown.

He resented. "I would much rather be forced to like Mickey, Rose."

She smiled again. "Thought so."

"_Now_, tea?" He pestered, his finger hovering over a button. He glanced at her and she nodded. "Good!"

The Doctor spun into motion and whirled around his console (which was, by the way, designed for way more than one singular Time Lord), pushing buttons, pulling knobs, loving life now that it was easier without choosing between Mickey and Rose (and he would always choose Rose anyway). The TARDIS spun through time and the Doctor brandished an arm toward the door after the TARDIS landed.

"Where are we?" Rose grinned broadly.

"Go and check!" He grinned.

Rose opened the door and raced out, then came back a moment later with the largest grin he'd seen yet on her face. "We're home! Why are we home?"

"Are you kidding? Jackie makes the best tea in England!" The Doctor said with a smile and he waved her out again.

With a cry of 'Mum, I'm home!' Rose raced away. The Doctor frankly disliked Jackie's tea, but seeing the surprise and happiness on Rose's face made his day. He pulled on the sleeve of his leather jacket and exited. He knew he would be assailed by an angry Jackie who was also simultaneously happy. But what he didn't realize was that a very startled Mickey would also be there. When he entered the apartment, Rose gave him a pointed look and he grinned.

"Rickey my main man!" The Doctor crowed and engulfed the man in a hug. Mickey pulled away, slightly confused.

"I'm Mickey." He said slowly, as if the Doctor was stupid for not remembering his name after all they'd been through.

"The Idiot?" The Doctor asked and Rose punched him on the arm. He caught her eye and she smiled at him; he smiled back and self-consciously resituated his jacket.

So maybe today they wouldn't go on an outstanding adventure. But, yeah, maybe tea at Jackie's _was_ the best tea in England.


End file.
